Banfi Vintners

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Acescence
a vinegary off-aroma found in wine created by acetobacter
Acetobacter
the bacteria responsible for vinegar formation and for acescence in wine
Aglianico
a red grape of southern Italy; its most famous incarnations are Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata) and Taurasi (Campania).
Aguardiente
a distilled spirit
Albana di Romagna
Italy’s first DOCG wine; made in Emilia Romagna from the white Albana grape
Albana
a white grape of northern Italy; it finds its pinnacle ofexpression in the Albana di Romagna DOCG made in Emilia Romagna
Albarola
a white grape vinted into Liguria’s Cinqueterre
Aldehydes
oxidized alcohols
Alps
a mountain range that separates Italy from the rest of Europe
Amarone [della Valpolicella]
a red wine of the Veneto region in Italy; made by drying Corvina,Molinara and Rondinella grapes after harvest (apassimento-style) then fermenting the concentrated must to dryness
Andes
a mountain range that separates Chile from Argentinaand encompasses one-third of Chile’stotal land mass
Apennines
a mountain range that divides Italy down its length
Appasimento
a process whereby, after harvest, clusters areallowed to desiccate on mats in the sun or in specially designed drying racksuntil the desired level of moisture has evaporated from the grapes. Theconcentrated juice inside the berry, when fermented into wine, makes anincredibly rich and concentrated wine.
Arneis
a white Piedmontese grape fashioned into bothstill and sparkling wines
Aroma
aromatics linked to the scent of the grape
Astringent
an adjective used to describe a wine with toomuch tannin
Atacama Desert
one of the driest deserts on earth; lies on Chile’snorthern border
Bacchanalia
a (often licentious) feast held in honor of Bacchus
Bacchus
Roman god of wine who granted Midas his heart’sdesire---that everything he touch turn to gold
Balthazar
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 16(750 ml) bottles
Barbaresco
A wine made in Piedmontfrom 100% Nebbiolo grapes
Barbera
considered a workhorse grape within Piedmont. It can make a simple quaff or a silken red ofgreat depth and complexity with its benchmark core of vibrant acidity and soft,wild berry fruit.
Bardolino
a red wine of the Venetoregion of Italymade rom Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella grapes
Barolo
A wine made in Piedmont from 100% Nebbiolo grapes
Barrel
a cask of a particular size, i.e. it is a unitof measurement (31.5 gallons)
Barrique
or Château barrel (used in Bordeaux): a cask of a particular size, 59gallons
Bianco di Custoza
a white wine of the Veneto region of Italy;  made predominately from the Trebbiano grape
Bianco d’Alessano
a white grape of southern Italy
Biferno
a red, white and rosé DOC in Molise,Italy.The red grapes used here are a blend of  Montepulciano, Aglianico, Bombino Rosso,Sangiovese and Barbera. Whitesinclude Malvasia, Falanghina, Greco, and Fiano.
Blanc de Noirs
translates from the French into English as:white [wine] from black [grapes].
Body
a term used to describe a wine’s alcoholcontent; light-bodied wines have lower alcohol levels than full-bodied wines
Bombino Bianco
a white grape of southern Italy
Bombino Rosso
a red grape of southern Italy
Bombino Nero
a black grape of southern Italy
Bouquet
aromatics linked to those scents derived fromwinemaking technique and aging
Botrytis
a mold that penetrates the skins of the grapesas they hang on the vine and concentrates sugars and flavor compounds (byremoving the water); many of the great dessert wines in the world are made frombotrytis-affected grapes.
Breathe/
Breathing
the process of popping the cork, pouring wineinto a glass or pouring wine into a decanter in order to aerate the wine
Brunello di Montalcino
a red wine of Tuscany,Italymade from grapes of the same name
Cannonau
a red grape grown in Sardinia; also known as Grenache or Garnacha. It isundecided whether Spainintroduced this grape to Sardinia or whether this grape is Sardinia’s gift to Spain.
Carmenère
a grape variety grown in Chile; thought to be a clone of Merlot and labeledas Peumal Merlot until correctly identified as what it is, Carmenère, a grapebrought over from pre-phylloxera Bordeaux
Cask
a container fashioned out of pieces of woodcalled “staves” and sealed at both ends with circular disks called “heads”
Castel del Monte
a red wine made in Apulia, Italy
Castel del Monte Bianco
a whitewine made in Apulia, Italy
Camanchaca
in Chile, a cool fog at dawn
Carmignano
a red blend from Tuscany, Italy;must contain a minimum of 70 percent Sangiovese. The rest of the blend isprimarily Canaiolo Nero, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with a few whitegrapes tossed in for good measure
Catarratto
one of the three principle grape varietiesvinted into Marsala, a fortifiedwine made on the island of Sicily, Italy (Grillo and Inzolia are the other twoblending partners.)
Cerasuolo
the local name for rosé wine in Abruzzo
Chianti
a red wine produced in Tuscany,Italy;it may be 100% Sangiovese or a Sangiovese-based red blend
Chiaretto
 The local term for rosé wine made in the Veneto, Italy
Chiavennasca
a synonym forNebbiolo in Lombardy
Chicha
a Chilean sweet wine made from partiallyfermented, concentrated must
Chile
in the language of its native people means,“where the land ends”
Cinqueterre
a white wine of Liguria, Italy  made from Vermentino, Bosco and Albarola grapes
Cirò bianco
a white wine madefrom the Greco grape in Calabria, Italy;historically, this wine was served to victorious Olympians to celebrate thesuccess of their accomplishments.
Cirò rosso:
a red wine made fromthe red Gaglioppo grape in Calabria, Italy;  historically, served to victorious Olympiansto celebrate the success of their accomplishments
Classico
[on a bottle of Italian wine] refers to thehistoric or original zone of production for the region.
Cloying
an adjective used to describe a wine with too much sugar
Cold soak
a form of maceration that occurspre-fermentation. The must is chilled (to prevent fermentation) and allowed torest for a day or two in order to extract pigment, tannins, and flavorcompounds. This is an aqueous extraction, i.e. water serves as the solvent.
Corked
an adjective used to describe a musty,wet-basement, wet-newspaper-like aroma in wine. The culprit is most-often theresult of  trichloroanisole (TCA) taint,which may or may not have, originated with the cork.
Cortese
a white grape variety of Piedmontthat takes its name from the Italian word for “courtesy” or “courteous”. Thisrefreshing wine was served to guests as a “courtesy” to their parched palates. See Gavi.
Criolla
the first grape variety planted in Argentina, also known as País in Chileand Mission grape in California
Cultured yeasts
wild yeasts that have been domesticated
Cuvee
blend
de Carabantes, Fray Francisco
generally credited with having brought the firstvine clippings to Chile in1548…probably from Peruand probably by sea
Decant
the process of pouring a bottle of wine into adecanter in order to soften the tannins,open up the flavor profile and/or to eliminate the sediment from the wine
della Venezie
the combined areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige (formerly known as TreVenezia or “Three Venices”
Dionysus
the combined areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige (formerly known as TreVenezia or “Three Venices”
DOC/
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
In Italy, “controlled origin”; a designation based on adherence to specific standardswithin Italian wine law
DOCG/
Denominazione diOrigine Controllata e Garantita
In Italy, “controlled and guaranteedorigin”; a designation based on adherence to specificstandards within Italian wine law
Dolceacqua
a red grape grown in Liguria, Italyand vinted into a wine of the same name
Dolcetto
the combined areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige (formerly known as TreVenezia or “Three Venices”
della Venezie
the combined areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige (formerly known as TreVenezia or “Three Venices”
Dionysus
Greek god of wine--the only god to have a mortalmother (Semele) and an immortal father (Zeus)
DOC/Denominazione di Origine Controllata
In Italy, “controlled origin”; adesignation based on adherence to specific standards within Italian wine law
DOCG/Denominazionedi Origine Controllata e Garantita:In Italy,“controlled and guaranteed origin”; a designation based on adherence to specificstandards within Italian wine law
Dolceacqua
a redgrape grown in Liguria, Italy andvinted into a wine of the same name
Drupeggio
a white grape often incorporated into Orvieto, a white wine produced in Umbria, Italy
Dry
an adjective used to describe a wine with no residual sugar
Enotria Tellus
Greek for “Landof Wine”, a moniker the Greeks gave toItaly (specifically Calabria)” because theland and climate was so aptly suited to the vine
Erbaluce di Caluso
a white Piedmontese grape fashioned into stilland sparkling and passito wines.
Est! Est!! Est!!!
a white wine made in Latium,Italyfrom Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes
Esters
aromatic compounds resulting from the coupling of alcoholand acid molecules
Extended maceration
a winemaking technique in which skin contactcontinues after fermentation is complete
Extract
a quantifiable quantity of non-volatile flavorcompounds found in wine comprised primarily of sugars, non-volatile acids,proteins, minerals, and phenolic compounds
Falanghina
a white grape grown in the south of Italy; a favorite white of Campania
Falerno del Massico
a red blend from Campania,Italythat incorporates Aglianico, Piedirosso, Primitivo, and Barbera into the blend
Fermentation
represents the simple conversion of (grape)sugars into alcohol through the action of yeasts (Sugar + Yeast  = Ethyl alcohol + CarbonDioxide + Heat)
Finish
the flavors that linger on your palate after thewine is swallowed
Fiano
a white grape grown in the south of Italy; it reaches its pinnacle of expression in Calabria’s Fiano da Avellino
Fiano da Avellino
a white wine made in Campania,Italyfrom grapes of the same name
Flavors
in-mouth smells
Fondant
one of the oldest grape varieties cultivated by man. Most ofthe world’s plantings are concentrated in Switzerland where it is also knownas Chasselas
Frascati
a white wine made in Latium, Italy from Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes
Freisa
a red wine from Piedmont, Italythat crafts an aromatic wine of moderate tannin
Gaglioppo
an Italian red grapevinted into Calabria’s Cirò rosso
Garganega
a white grape variety that forms the backbone ofVeneto’s Soave and Recioto de Soave wines
Gattinara
A red wine made in Piedmont, Italy;predominately Nebbiolo, but very smallamounts of Bonarda and Vespolina grapes can be added in orderto add fruit and create a more supple mouth feel
Gavi
a wine made in Piedmont from the Cortese grape; it crafts a high acid wine with a refreshing nut-skin bitterness
Geographical Indications (GIs)
Australia’s “place of origin” system. Place names, known as geographicalindications (GIs), represent geographical zones of production.
Ghemme
A red wine made in Piedmont, Italy;contains less Nebbiolo than Gattinara and higher percentages of thesame two blending grapes [Bonarda and Vespolina] in order to craft asofter wine yet.
Grafted grapevines
European grape vines that have been spliced ontothe rootstocks of American vines in order to protect them from soil-borne vinepests such as phylloxera. [Americanrootstocks are immune to phylloxera.]
Granite Belt
a swath of vineyards planted on decomposedgranite just south of Brisbane near the borderof New South Wales in Australia.
Grappa
made from pomace (the press cake of skins and seeds and stalks) of any grape, distilled, andsometimes aged, it is Italy’sfavorite digestive
Greco
a white grape grown in the south of Italy; it reaches its pinnacle of expression in Campania’s Greco di Tufo
Greco di Tufo
a white wine made in Campania,Italyfrom grapes of the same name
Grechetto
a white grape often incorporated into Orvieto, a light white vinted in Umbria, Italy
Grignolino
a Piedmontese red that crafts an aromatic wineof moderate tannin
Grillo
one of the three principle grape varietiesvinted into Marsala, a fortifiedwine made on the island of Sicily, Italy (Inzolia and Catarratto are the other twoblending partners.)
Hang time
the length of time the grape cluster spends onthe vine accruing flavor compounds
Hard
an adjective used to describe a wine with toomuch acid
Histamines
vaso-constrictors sometimes found in red wine
Hot
an adjective used to describe a wine with too much alcohol
Humboldt Current
a cold current that runs off of the coast of Chile
IGT/ Indicazione Geografica Tipica
In Italy, “typical geographic indication”; a designation based on adherence to specific standardswithin Italian wine law
Il Mezzogiorno
The Land of the Midday Sun; the agricultural south of Italy
Inzolia
one of the three principle grape varietiesvinted into Marsala, a fortifiedwine made on the island of Sicily, Italy (Grillo and Catarratto are the other twoblending partners.)
Jéroboam
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 4(750ml) bottles
Lacryma Cristi (Tears of Christ) del Vesuvio
a wine produced in Campania from a host of local grapes. It  can be either red or white.
Lactic acid
a soft and creamy acid derived from the primaryor alcoholic fermentation as well as malo-lacticfermentation; it tastes of butter, butterscotch, toffee and caramel
Lambrusco
a sparkling red winemade in Emilia-Romagnafrom grapes of the same name
Lees
the dead yeast cells that collect at the bottomof the barrel or vat after the primary alcoholic fermentation is complete  (See surlie aging)
Legs
streams of liquid that coalesce and slide downthe inside of the glass when you swirl your wine
Locorotondo
a white wine made in Apulia, Italy
Lugana
a white wine of the Veneto region of Italy made predominately from the Trebbiano grape
Maderized
an adjective used to describe a wine that hasbeen exposed to both air and heat
Magnum
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 2(750 ml) bottles
Malic acid
a tart, sharp acidpresent in grapes and in wine; it tastes of green apples
Malolactic fermentation
a process whereby malic acid is converted into lactic acid; this changes the flavors and the mouth feel of the finishedwine
Malvasia
a white grape grown all over the Italianpeninsula; it, together with Trebbiano,constitutes the backbone of many Italian white blends
Malvasia Nero
a dark-skinned clone of Malvasia vinted into red wine in thesouth of Italy
Marsala
a fortified wine made on the island of Sicilyfrom Catarratto, Grillo, and Inzolia grape varieties
Martina
a white wine made in Apulia, Italy
Methuselah
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 8 (750ml)bottles
Metodo tradizionale or classico
the Champagnemethod of sparkling wine production. Here, the second fermentation takes placein the same bottle from which it is later served
Mission grapes
the first grape variety planted in Chile, also known as País in Chileand Criolla in Argentina
Mistral
a powerful windoriginating in the Alpine region of continental Europe
Molinara
one of the three principle red grapes vintedinto Valpolicella, Bardolino, Amaronedella Valpolicella and Recioto dellaValpolicella (The other two grapes are Rondinella and Corvina.)
Montepulciano
a town in Tuscanyand a grape in Abruzzo, Molise,Marches and other regions of Italy
Mourvédre
a gutsy red grape variety grown in Australia, Spain,and France; also known as Mataro
Moscato
a wine made from the Muscat grape, an ancient variety with intensenotes of honey, apricot, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and raisin
Must
a soupy slurry of seeds, pulp, skins, and juicecreated after the grapes are crushed
Nebbiolo
a grape that takes its name from the Italianword “nebbia” meaning fog. This late ripening variety is often picked in lateautumn when the hills of Piedmont [where it ispredominately grown] are cloaked in morning fog. These age-worthy reds areoften quite tannic in their youth and are characterized by aromas of tar androses. Known as Picutener in Valle d’Aosta, Chiavennasca in Lombardy, and Spanna in Northern Piedmont.
Nebuchadnezzar
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 20(750ml) bottles
Negroamaro
a red grape grown in thesouth of Italy;the literal translation of the name is “black-bitter”. It reaches its pinnacleof expression in Apulia’s Salice Salentino.
Ochagavía, Silvestre
generally credited with introducing the firstpopular European varieties to Chile
Odiferous
having odor or aroma
Oidium
a fungus that reduces crop yields and/or retardspigment development in the clusters and creates off flavors in the finishedwine; also known as powdery mildew.
Orvieto
a delightful white primarily comprised of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes made in the region of Umbria,Italy
Oxidized
an adjective used to describe a wine that hasbeen exposed to oxygen
País
the first grape variety planted in Chile, also known as the Mission grape in California and Chile…Criolla in Argentina.
Passito
a wine made from raisined or semi-raisinedgrapes
Phylloxera
A vine pest, indigenous to the eastern sectionof North America that almost completely devastated all of the vineyards of Europe in the late 1800s
Picolit
a white grape grownin Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Picutener
a synonym for Nebbiolo in Valle d’Aosta
Piéce
(used in Burgundy):a cask of a particular size, 60 gallons
Piedirosso
a red grape of southern Italy
Pinot Bianco
Italian for the white pinot…in French, PinotBlanc
Pinot Grigio
Italian for the gray pinot…in French, Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Italian for the black pinot…in French, PinotNoir
Pisco
the first grape variety planted in Chile, also known as the Mission grape in California and Chile…Criolla in Argentina.
Polyphenols
a class of heart-healthy compounds comprisedprimarily of tannins and pigments
Pomace
the press cake ofgrape skins, grape seeds and stalks
Prosecco
a sparkling white wine made in the Veneto region of Italy from a grape of the same name
Prugnolo Gentile
a clone of Sangiovese vinted into Vino Nobile di Monepulciano
Punt
the indentation on the bottom of a wine bottle
Q
a letter on a label of Sicilian table winemeaning that it has passed that island’s quality assessment criteria
Raulí
a native Chilean wood used for wine casks; unfortunately it provedunsuitable for the purpose. It is porous.
Rehoboam
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 6 (750ml)bottles
Recioto di Soave
a sweet white wine of the Venetoregion of Italy;made the same way as Recioto dellaValpolicella…but with predominately sun-dried Garganega grapes
Recioto della Valpolicella
a red wine of theVeneto region of Italy; made by drying Corvina,Molinara and Rondinella grapesafter harvest (apassimento-style)then arresting fermentation by chilling the juice and filtering out the yeastso that some residual sugar remainsin the wine
Recognition threshold
the point at which an individual can identify aspecific stimulus [vs. detectionthreshold…the point at which an individual perceives a stimulus but cannotidentify it].
Refosco
a red grape grown in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Residual sugar
sugar that is left unfermented in a bottle offinished wine; it is left-over [from fermentation], therefore “residual”
Ripasso
in Italian “to pass over again”; some producers achieve a rich composite offlavors and textures by pouring Valpolicella through the crushed cake of Amarone grapes. This technique is known as “ripasso”
Roaring Forties
strong winds that circle the earth at the 40thparallel south impacting Australia’soverall climate and weekly weather patterns
Rondinella
one of the three principle red grapes vintedinto Valpolicella, Bardolino, Amaronedella Valpolicella and Recioto dellaValpolicella (The other two grapes are Corvina and Molinara.)
Rosso Conero
a soft red made from predominately Montepulciano grapes in the Marches region of Italy
Rosso di Montalcino
a red wine made from Brunello grapes in Tuscany, Italy
Rosso Piceno: a Montepulciano/Sangiovese
blend (red) from the Marchesregion of Italy
Rossese di Dolceacqua
a red wine made in Liguria, Italyfrom the Dolceacqua grape
Sagrantino di Montefalco
a Sagrantino (red)/Trebbiano (white) blend madein the Umbria region of Italy
Sagrantino
a red grape grown in Umbria, Italyand vinted into Sagrantino di Montefalco
Saignée
the bleeding of a vat of [pink] juice beforefermentation gets underway in order to concentrate what is left behind. Thepink juice is fermented into rosé wine. By removing enough liquid to make rosé,there is now a higher skin to juice ratio in the original vat of fermenting red wine. The finished red wine will be much more concentrated in pigment, tannin and flavor compounds as aresult!
Salice Salentino
a red wine made in Apulia, Italy, predominately from the Negroamaro grape
Salmanazar
a large bottle with the volume equivalent of 12(750ml) bottles
Sangiovese
a red grape grown throughout much of Italy; its pinnacleof expression is found in Tuscan reds such as Chianti and Vino Nobile deMontepulciano. It tastes of baked bricks, dried orange peel and Bing cherries.
San Severo
a red wine made in Apulia, Italy 
SauvignonVert
a less-aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc plantedin Chile;it is also known as Sauvignonasse
Sauvignonasse
a less-aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc plantedin Chile;it is also known as Sauvignon Vert
Sediment
dregs at the bottom of the bottle of [red] wine.As red wine ages in the bottle, pigment and tannin molecules link up to form large macromolecules that can nolonger stay in solution. They precipitate out.
Shiraz
what the Australians call Syrah, a red grapefamed throughout the Rhône Valley of France
Skin contact
a maceration process in which the juice isliterally in contact with the skins. This allows for the transfer of tannins and pigments from the skin intothe juice.
Soave
a white wine made predominately from Garganega grapes in the Veneto region of Italy
South East Australia
the only geographicalindication (apart from Australiaitself) that covers an area larger than a single state. It combines New South Wales, Victoria,Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and parts of Queenslandand South Australia.
Spumante
Italian for “sparkling”
Südtirol
The German name for the region of Alto Adige in Italy
Sulfites
one of the many permutations of elementalsulfur. In wine, they are nature’s own preservatives acting as anti-oxidantsand anti-microbial agents. They prevent browning too.
Sullivan Nod
body language named after the restaurantconsultant, Tom Sullivan, who first observed the unconscious nodding ofindividuals who sought a “yes” response from another
Superiore
[on a bottle of Italian wine] does not mean“superior” in quality, but rather refers to a higher or superior attribute suchas longer aging time or a higher alcohol level. Sometimes it indicates that thewine is produced from vineyards with more restricted yields
Sur lie aging
[in French: on top of the lees] the techniquewhereby wine is aged on top of its lees; this technique imparts a yeastycreaminess to the finished product
Stickies
Australian term for dessert wines
Structure
a wine’s composite makeup of acid, tannin, sugar, extract, and alcohol
Super Tuscans
Back in the 1970s,many quality-minded producers in Tuscanyopted to break with tradition in order to craft a better wine. Thesedeclassified, high-quality, high-priced bottlings won international award afterinternational award despite their lowly “table wine” status. The press wasquick to label them “Super Tuscans”…and they were just that! In truth, theywere the force behind the creation of the IGT category
Symposium
originated in Greece as a formal drinking partywhere guests engaged in all manner of intellectual debate
Tannin
a bitter, astringent component of grape skinsand oak barrels leached into wine during the course of fermentation and/orbarrel aging
Tartaric acid
the number one acid in grapes and in wine, bothin strength and in concentration
Tartrates
tartaric acid crystals that form on the cork orprecipitate out as “wine stones” at the bottom of the bottle or tank
Tastes
stimuli perceived on the palate; sweet, sour,salt, bitter and savory
Taurasi
a bitter, astringent component of grape skinsand oak barrels leached into wine during the course of fermentation and/orbarrel aging
Tannin
a red wine made fromthe Aglianico grape in Campania, Italy;known as “the Barolo of the South”
Tears
streams of liquid that coalesce and slide downthe inside of the glass when you swirl your wine
Teinturiers
grapes with pigmented juice
Teroldego
a red grape of Trentino-Alto Adige made into adistinctly fruity red wine of the same name
Terra Rossa Soil
also known as “pay dirt” in Australia--a red-brown mix of clay,sand and silt that sits atop a limestone subsoil
Terroir
the composite of soil, climate, grape growingpractices and the vine that often delivers a signature flavor profile in thefinished wine 
Texture
the way a substance feels [in the mouth]—itsweight, its consistency.
Tierra del Fuego
(Landof Fire) an archipelago at thesouthern tip of Chile
TIPS
an acronym for “to insure prompt service”
Tocai
a white grape grownin Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Torontel
a grape variety grown in Chile; also known as Torrontes. Itis a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla.
Torrontes
a grape variety grown in Chile; also known as Torontel. Itis a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla.
Trebbiano
a white grape variety grown in Italy; also known as Ugni Blanc in France
TreVenezia
(or “ThreeVenices”—today, known as the dellaVenezie): the combined areas of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige
Trumao
extraordinarily rich volcanic ash soil known found in Chile’s Malleco Valley
(Araucanía region)
Ugni Blanc
a white grape variety grown in France; known as Trebbiano in Italy
Umami
discovered in 1907 by Professor Kikunae Ikeda ofTokyo Imperial University;this savory “taste” is registered when the amino acid, glutamate, is present.
Uva di Troia
a red grape grown in the south of Italy
Valpolicella
a red wine of the Venetoregion of Italymade predominately from Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella grapes
Vespolina
a red grape grown in Piedmont, Italyand often incorporated into Gattinara and Ghemme
Verdeca
a white grape of southern Italy
Verdello
a white grape often incorporated into Orvieto, awhite wine produced in Umbria, Italy
Verdicchio
a lightwhite made in the Marches region of Italyfrom grapes of the same name
Vermentino
a grape of Spanishorigin grown on the island of Sardinia and all along the fringes of the Mediterranean; it achieves it pinnacle of expression whenvinted into Sardinian Vermentino di Gallura
Vermentino di Gallura
a wine made from Vermentino grapes grown in the Galluraarea of Sardinia; an area that is pummeled by the Mistral, a powerful windoriginating in the Alpine region of continental Europe
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
a white wine made in Tuscany, Italyfrom grapes of the same name
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona
a redsparkling wine made in Marches;comes in both dry and sweet versions
Verduzzo
a white grape grownin Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Vermouth
a fortified wine made in Piedmont,infused with herbs, spices, and other botanicals
Vin Santo
“holy wine” in Italian; made from dried grapesthat ferment and age in small barrels in the attics of Tuscan farm houses fortwo to six years.
Vino da Tavola
In Italy, “table wine”; a designation based on adherence to specific standardswithin Italian wine law
Vino Nobile di Montepulicano
a red wine made predominately from Prugnolo Gentile (a Sangiovese clone)in Tuscany, Italy
Viscosity
a term used to describe the glutinous or sticky/thicknature of a liquid
Yeast
a microscopic, uni-cellular fungus
Young
an adjective used to describe a wine with too much tannin